From patrol car crashes and physical assaults, to extreme weather events and active fire scenes, the concussion risks for law enforcement officers are ever-present on any given shift. Mid-Atlantic Concussion (MAC) Alliance is proud to provide its free Law Enforcement Concussion Baseline Testing Program to agencies throughout the region. It is our way of giving back to the men and women who protect and serve our communities every day.
Why Do Cops Need Concussion Baseline Testing? Isn’t That for Football Players?
While contact and high-impact athletes, like football players, do benefit greatly from having baseline screenings, they aren’t the only ones.
- A report to Congress from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention places the number of new concussion/traumatic brain injury (TBI) cases at 2 million annually.
- A 2016 Fact Sheet from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (the most recent data we have) shows the number of non-fatal injuries reported by law enforcement officers to be 4 times the number reported by all other occupations.
- A small study published in the Journal of Psychiatric and Mental Health Nursing involving 88 officers of the Midland Police Constabulary in England reported 57% of the police self-reported TBIs of different severities.
This is the extent of the data currently available. We hope future passage of H.R.2992: TBI and PTSD Law Enforcement Training Act in Congress will result in much-needed CDC research into law enforcement and first responders and TBI.
What the MAC Law Enforcement Concussion Baseline Testing Program Provides
MAC Alliance utilizes FDA-cleared Class II brain-health assessment technology from Sway Balance System. Balance screenings are administered through an app on a phone or tablet, either in at the station or in the privacy of the officer’s own home, at a time that’s convenient for the individual. MAC Alliance will provide prompt data results to the officers directly.
The Benefits of Sway Balance System Baseline Screenin
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gSway Balance technology works via an app on your cell phone or tablet. The baseline test is done by resting the phone or tablet against your chest and performing a series of specific balancing exercises. This system is currently being used by thousands of school athletic programs and sports organizations. We have selected Sway for our Law Enforcement Concussion Baseline Testing Program for many reasons, including:
- Solid research studies back Sway’s accuracy and reliability, and balance baseline data can be used later to help diagnose and monitor a concussion or other traumatic brain injury (TBI).
- Sway Balance is an easy-to-take, rapid and non-invasive test that can be done anywhere—taking just minutes to complete.
Sway is a non-invasive test that objectively measures postural stability using a mobile phone or tablet’s built–in accelerometer, giving a snapshot of the current state of an individual’s brain health.- Sway is a portable solution that can be brought to the police department for screening sessions on our tablets, or administered when and where it is most convenient for the officers using a code on the downloaded app.
- A complete and confidential baseline report is delivered to each individual officer that they may keep and use with their own physicians or with a MAC specialist in the event of a future head injury.
- Baselining can be done around your department’s shift rotations, on training days or remotely to make the screenings as convenient as possible.
- Sway can be used to accurately monitor the recovery process remotely in the event of a diagnosed concussion later on down the road.
Sway is a non-invasive test that objectively measures postural stability using a mobile phone or tablet’s built–in accelerometer, giving a snapshot of the current state of an individual’s brain health.In addition to the testing itself, we can also provide:
- Presentations to officers and administration on the risks, symptoms and proper diagnosis of concussions and TBIs
- Informational materials for law enforcement departments on concussions
- Ongoing, rolling baseline testing access for new employees that can be part of their onboarding process.
Giving Back to Those Who Protect and Serve Our Communities
MAC Alliance feels strongly that every law enforcement officer should have valuable information on their individual brain health that can help them in the event of a future concussion or TBI. The same baseline testing that is available for athletes can and should be brought to the law enforcement community. Vincent Schaller, MD, DABFM, CIC, medical director and founder of Mid-Atlantic Concussion (MAC) Alliance, is committed to providing this brain health testing program to law enforcement officers for free:
“I have worked with many police officers in my concussion practice, so I understand the head injury risks involved with the work they do. My team and I want to give back to these people who have been putting their lives on the line to protect and serve their communities. These baseline tests are a way of showing our appreciation for all that they do.”
Contact Us to Find Out More
Joseph Collins is the Baseline Testing Coordinator and creator of the Law Enforcement program. He is a retired New Jersey police corporal and brings his career experience of desire to support the law enforcement community to this project. He can be reached by email at jcollins@macphysicians.com, or by calling 856-371-7389.
News About Our Law Enforcement Baseline Program
Retired Cop Helping Local Officers Avoid Lasting Effects of Concussions
March 30, 2022
WFMZ-TV 69News, which serves Eastern Pennsylvania and Western New Jersey communities, featured our Law Enforcement Baseline Testing Program in honor of Brain Injury Awareness Month. The program offers free, confidential concussion baseline testing for officers and is currently expanding in the Lehigh Valley, and other Mid-Atlantic Communities. Interested agencies can contact Baseline Program Coordinator Joe Collins at jcollins@macphysicians.com for more information.
Philly Area Law Enforcement Further Brain Health Awareness
March 24, 2022
Brain Injury Awareness Month was a busy news period for MAC Alliance! Our Law Enforcement Baseline Testing Program was the focus of a detailed story by Philly Patch. The new program kicked off with more than 50 officers in the Gloucester County, New Jersey, area. Each officer received a free, confidential concussion baseline report after taking the 10-second infrared EyeGuide Focus test. Spearheaded by Baseline Program Coordinator and retired police corporal Joe Collins, the program seeks to expand throughout the Mid-Atlantic region.
Lehigh Valley Resident Helps Law Enforcement Officers with Baseline Screenings for Concussions
March 24, 2022
MAC Alliance Baseline Program Coordinator Joe Collins and our new Law Enforcement Baseline Testing Program were profiled in The Lehigh Valley Ledger in honor of National Brain Injury Awareness Month. Joe is a Lehigh Valley resident and retired police corporal, and he has expanded our baseline programing beyond schools and sports teams in the Mid-Atlantic region. The police screenings free and designed to work around each department’s scheduling system to ensure every officer gets a confidential brain health baseline report. In the event of a head injury, comparing a post-accident baseline screening to the officer’s baseline will help significantly with diagnosis, treatment and recovery.
Read the Lehigh Valley Ledger Article
